FilmQ03e_Medieval Gothic Cathedrals

How to Use Video as a Source

Step #1: Familiarize yourself with film questions prior to viewing the film. By reading the questions and understanding the vocabulary contained within, you allow yourself the luxury of viewing the film without having to look at the questions continuously.

Step #2: View and Listen Attentively. Unlike a book, a video provides information via visual images and audio. Both forms of data are ‘more valuable together’ than separately. For example, turn the volume off on your TV during your favorite program. Then, raise the volume while ‘blacking out’ the image. Under which conditions was the data most richly delivered? Always make sure that you have unobstructed viewing of a film and that the sound is audible.

As you view the video, pay attention to visual and/ or audio cues that reflect the issues raised by the questions below. Your responses should refer to video content as well as your current knowledge and understanding of history.

Step #3: Organize Your Thoughts. Unlike a book, the data from a video is often delivered at a constant rate. With a book, you can slow your reading speed when you encounter a particular segment that is complicated. You can also turn back to a previous page to review information. A film is a bit different in that you may not always have the option to use ‘slow motion’ or ‘rewind’. Therefore, maintaining focus on the imagery and sound is important. Targeted Notes will reduce the amount of time you’re looking away from the film. By writing quick and simple phrases of a few words each, you maintain greater attention to film events.

Targeted notes use key words/ phrases that will ignite a thought or idea when you read them later. There is no concern for grammar or spelling while doing this. After the film has ended, you look at your targeted notes and manipulate the data to compile responses in complete sentences.

Organizational Tip: Vertically divide your sheet of paper (where you’ll write your responses). On the ‘left’ half, take targeted notes for each question given. After viewing the video, use the targeted notes to compose complete responses to each question (on the ‘right’ half of the sheet).

Your responses to these ﬁlm questions will form the foundation of, or supplement, your notes for this lesson. While the focus of the ﬁlm is the spiritual and economic forces that made the construction of Gothic Cathedrals possible, take time to consider the social and political implications as well. Rivalries of a religious and economic nature are eventually going to severely challenge feudal norms.

1. What impression did you get when the narrator stated “…the light of the cathedral contrasted with the darkness of the forest…”? How would it motivate Europeans to construct more cathedrals at the expense the forests?

2. What are two characteristics of the “Gothic” style of architecture that these cathedrals exempliﬁed?

3. How did these two characteristics contribute to an understanding of Man’s relationship to GOD?

4. What information were you able to garner that indicated a developing interest and competition among other towns?

5. Despite the criticism that such structures were expensive to build and adorn, the ﬁnal product was too overwhelming a vision to criticize. What would you recommend to the local parish, community, and King as a plan to ﬁnance such efforts?

6. If I told you that this would not have been possible without the metal-blade plow and similar technology- how would you defend that?